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West Side Mountain Bike Series #1
12 February 2006
Report by: Derik Andreoli and Barry Campbell
I think Barry said it best. I'm the lucky one. That race was looooooong, and I got off easy!
Barry and Ben represented well. It's going to be a good season.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight to bring my camera (thought I'd be racing and all)
because Barry put down a MEAN sprint at the end! Oh, and Barry, I apologize for cheering you
on...I realize that if I wasn't screaming my head off at you, you would have snuck by him!
Seriously, you all should give Ben and Barry props. They rode hard, and had the brains and
patience to follow the original gameplan (which was ride together--ironically, that was my
idea...). I got anxious - some things never change - and rode away from them at the start.
I would have been happier had I rode with them...and I'm not just saying this because of certain
mechanical difficulties! This is the classic case of six dozen of one, a baker's dozen of the other!
I went for the 6, and ended up with 3!
The course was about a 4 mile loop, with about 1/2 lap to start. Since we upgraded to Sport class
this year, we got to do 3 1/2 laps. As in the past, the start was on the paved entry road, which
led to a singletrack entry at the base of the only real hill on the course. Great way to get
really warmed up really fast. Derik was farther up than Ben and Barry at the entrance to the
singletrack, so he had a clearer path. But it's a long race, and the other two bunnies moved forward
streadily to sit in a respectable position by the last lap.
Somewhere in the second lap, Derik encountered a piece of carpet that was reinforcing the trail, and
got some of the fiber stuck in his derailleur. Unfortunately, that was the end of his race (and his
derailleur pulleys). Ben and Barry stuck together pretty well, but the last time up the hill
Ben ran out of steam. Barry went on ahead, finishing the race in the middle of the pack, and Ben picked
it up enough to follow him in pretty close behind.
Results:
Sport:
Barry Campbell 27th overall, 14th 30-39
Ben Ulness 29th overall, 15th 19-34
Pictures
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